Archive for October 2011
Tree trimming can save life and limb in a storm | The Detroit News
Tree trimming can save life and limb in a storm
Last Updated: October 28. 2011 1:00AM
Nancy Szerlag: Gardening
On my to-do list last week was scheduling an appointment with Owen Tree Service, (800) 724-6680, www.owentree.com, to have one of their arborists check out the trees in my yard. Several ashes have succumbed to the emerald ash borer, and a couple of others look like they might need trimming.
Brad Dunkin, staff arborist at Owen Tree Service, says it’s smart to be proactive when it comes to tree care. Having a professional trim and possibly cable or remove a weak limb can mean the difference between life and death to a tree should a violent storm hit. It’s often cheaper to take down a tree beyond help before it’s knocked down by a storm, causing expensive collateral damage, injury and possibly death.
About every decade, Mother Nature would trim trees of small twigs and dead or weak branches by sending a storm through large areas — such as southern lower Michigan — in spring just as trees were leafing out.
“But our weather patterns have changed,” says Randy Owen, president of Owen Tree Service. “Now we get fierce storms that hit localized areas throughout the summer.”
When fully leafed out, some large trees that haven’t been trimmed either by nature or a professional arborist cannot withstand the pressure of the wind and are damaged or destroyed. We’ve all seen videos on the nightly news of giant trees toppled onto houses, cars and electrical wires. The cost of emergency removal of these huge trees can be in the thousands. Damage to homes and cars can also run in the thousands. In a few cases it can cost the owners their lives.
The time to find a good tree care service is before trouble strikes. Fly-by-night operators often go door-to-door soliciting work cleaning up storm damage. Professionals rely on advertising, word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business.
“When hiring a tree service, a certificate of insurance that includes workman’s compensation coverage is a must,” says Owen. If a person you hired is injured on your property and not covered, you could be liable.
If someone knocks on your door and flashes you a sheet of paper that looks like a certificate of insurance, beware. With today’s technology, they are easily forged. “We are happy to have our insurer send a client a copy of our policy by email, fax or snail mail, so they can be assured of our coverage,” says Owen.
Membership in national and local professional organizations also indicates quality of service and skill. They usually are listed on company websites, so check them out.
Nancy Szerlag is a master gardener and Metro Detroit freelance writer. Her column appears Fridays in Homestyle. Email her at Szerlag.
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Summer and spring bulb care in the fall
Summer and spring bulb care in the fall
With some still decent weather in our forecast, you will have time to finish up those last few gardening chores before the cold of winter sets in.
Bulbs are one of the things you may plan on taking care of (summer blubs should be dug up and put away for the winter) or planting those lovely spring flowering bulbs. Rosie Lerner, Purdue University Horticulture specialist, and Ward Upham, Kansas State University Horticulture specialist, offer the following advice on fall bulb care:
As winter approaches, we need to start thinking about storage of the bulbs that will not survive
Indiana winters. The bulbs of gladiolus, caladium, dahlia, tuberous begonia, calla lily, and canna lily need to be dug and stored so they can be planted next year. Actually, the storage organ of the above plants is not a true bulb. Canna and calla lilies are rhizomes, caladium and tuberous begonias are tubers, gladiolus is a corm, and dahlia is a tuberous rooted plant. All of these plants should be dug after frost has browned the foliage.
Then, allow them to dry for about a week in a shady, well-ventilated site such as a garage or tool shed. Remove any excess soil and pack them in peat moss, vermiculite, or perlite. Make sure the bulbs don’t touch, so that if one decays, the rot doesn’t spread. Dusting them with fungicide before storage will help prevent them from rotting.
Caladium should be stored between 50 and 60 degrees F. The other bulbs mentioned should be stored near 40 degrees F. Finding a good spot to store the bulbs may be difficult. Some people place them against a basement wall farthest from the furnace and insulate them so the wall keeps them cool.
There’s still time to get those spring-flowering bulbs in the ground yet this fall. Though generally it is recommended to get the bulbs planted by early October to give them enough time to root before winter, it is better to plant now rather than try to store the bulbs over winter. As long as the soil temperatures are above 40 degrees F, the bulbs should continue their root development.
Most garden centers still have a supply of crocus, daffodils, tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs. Select large, firm bulbs and avoid those that are sprouting or molding.
While many bulbs can adapt to a wide range of soil types, none can tolerate poorly drained soil.
Prepare the planting bed by adding organic matter such as peat moss, well-rotted manure, or compost. It is best to rely on a soil test to determine what nutrients are needed. Adequate fertility can be achieved by adding a low analysis, balanced fertilizer such as 5-10-5 or 6-10-4 at the rate of 2-3 pounds per 100 square feet of bed.
Garden soils that have been fertilized regularly in the past may have excess levels of phosphorus that can interfere with the uptake of other essential micronutrients. In such cases, it would be better to apply a fertilizer relatively high in nitrogen such as a 29-5-4, 27-3-3 at the rate of two-thirds pound per 100 square feet. Mix all amendments thoroughly with the soil before you plant the bulbs.
The size of the bulb and the species will dictate how deep to plant. In general, the depth to the bottom of the bulb should be about 2-3 times the size of the bulb, but check the planting instructions specific to each particular flower. For more information on the many types of bulbs that can be grown in Indiana, you can get a copy of HO-86, Flowering Bulbs available online at hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-86.pdf.
Fall Lawn Care
http://www.henricocitizen.com/index.php/news/article/04569
In the garden
Master Gardeners staffing the Horticulture Helpline at the Henrico Extension Office (501-5160) say they’re getting a lot of questions about fall lawn care. The most common question: “Is it too late to do anything about my lawn now?”
“No,” said Teddy Martin, Horticulture Technician with the Extension Service and coordinator of the SMARTLawns program. “Fall is the time of year to work on lawns.”
“The starting point really is in September,” said Martin. “But you can get a late start and still have a nice lawn.”
The optimum time for aerating your lawn and sowing grass seed is from mid-September to mid-October, but Martin says you can still put down seed until late October. “After November 1, you’re pushing it,” he said.
It all depends on the weather, according to Martin. “If we have a warm fall, you’ll be all right, but if the fall is too cool, the seed may not germinate or grow well,” he said.
October is a good month to fertilize your lawn. If you do the first application now, you can do a second application between November 15 and December 15. “Normally we recommend the SON approach,” said Martin which calls for fertilizer applications in September, October and November. “But, again,” said Martin. “You can start late.”
Before putting any fertilizer or lime on your lawn, Martin recommends doing a soil test. Soil should be tested at least once every three years to determine existing nutrient levels and pH and what supplements are needed.
Soil test kits are available at the Extension Service and in all of the county’s public libraries, and Henrico residents are eligible for two free soil samples each year by using vouchers from the Henricopolis Soil and Water Conservation District. Instructions for getting the vouchers and collecting the soil sample are attached to the kit.
And, it’s time now to do something about those weeds. October and November are good times to put down broadleaf weed killers for winter weeds such as chickweed and henbit. Crabgrass preventers should be used in March, and broadleaf weed killers for summer weeds such as dandelions, lespedeza and spurge should be applied in April or May.
“Many people don’t realize it,” said Martin. “But weeds grow in the winter!”
Would you like to become a Henrico Master Gardener? The deadline for applications to the 2012 class is Friday, Oct. 28. Master Gardener trainees attend 50 hours of classroom instruction from January through March. Classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the Extension Office. Trainees are also required to complete a 50-hour volunteer internship between April and November. Cost is $135. To find out more, call the Extension Office at 501-5160
or visit http://www.co.henrico.va.us/extension.
Could this Lamberhurst tree be the oldest in the country? | This is Kent
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Lamberhurst-tree-oldest-country/story-13621622-detail/story.html
Could this Lamberhurst tree be the oldest in the country?
IS THIS the oldest tree in England?
According to preservation charity the Kent Men of the Trees, this yew in Lamberhurst could be as much as 6,000 years old, making it a firm contender for the title.
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Is this the oldest tree in England? The Yew Tree in the grounds of St Marys Church in Lamberhurst. TWSL20111017G-002_C
That was their expert opinion when judges came to Lamberhurst as part of their Trees In Your Village 2011 competition.
Judge Roy Hood was given a tour of the area and said the ancient yew by St Mary’s Church might date back a lot further than earlier estimates of 1,000 to 2,000 years.
He said it could be twice or even three times older than that, which would suggest it may have sprouted as early as 4000 BC, making it older than Stonehenge.
In his report, Mr Hood said: “I think that the large trunked yew by the church is considerably older than the date given by the Conservation Foundation on their certificate.
“This is an impressive tree and I am inclined to think that it is between 4,000 and 6,000 years old.”
However, other experts are unconvinced by the suggestion and age the yew more modestly.
Tim Hills, from the Ancient Yew Group, said: “I can confirm that tree certainly is ancient.
“It is safe to say it is at least 800 years old.
“It’s a nice idea to say it is as old as 4,000 but I don’t think it could be.”
Cathy Tyers, a dendrochronologist (someone who studies tree rings to tell their age) at the University of Sheffield, said: “I think the original age might be more in the right ball park.
“The trees sometimes become multi-trunked from a single root stock, so it looks like a massive tree but it’s a whole series of trees of differing ages.
“We can take core samples from living trees but you might get one of the newer trunks.
“We are reliant on the trees being taken down in order to investigate them fully.
“I would be extremely surprised if that yew was that old, but we are there to be proven wrong.”
Edward Parker, from the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Hunt Project, said he was hopeful of sorting out the mystery.
The yew is officially registered as an “ancient tree” by the trust as part of the project, which will enable it to be preserved and protected from harm.
He said: “The most ancient yew trees are reckoned to be thousands of years old.
“It would be great if anyone locally has any further information to shed some light on the true age of the Lamberhurst yew and its history.
“The most important thing is to have a record of ancient trees such as this one, so that we can keep them protected for thousands more years.”
Canker disease hits black walnut trees | The Coloradoan |
Canker disease hits black walnut trees | The Coloradoan |
A relatively new deadly tree disease has been discovered in Fort Collins, and city forestry officials are encouraging residents to learn more about the fungus-caused attack on black walnut trees.
Thousand Cankers Disease, or TCD, was confirmed in Fort Collins trees this month, according to a news release from the city’s forestry division. Officials say it is likely the disease has been present in the city for three to four years but is now at the point where symptoms are visible.
TCD was first recognized and described in 2008 by Ned Tisserat and Whitney Cranshaw of the Colorado State University Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, according to information published by the university.
TCD results from the combined activity of the walnut twig beetle and a canker-producing fungus. The beetles are very small and carry the fungal spores from tree to tree.
Once in a tree, cankers are formed as the fungus grows. Each canker is about the diameter of a quarter, and they grow and coalesce into each other, killing tree branches. Host trees eventually are killed by the beetle attacks, cankers and secondary pests.
Because the disease is difficult to detect and diagnose, Fort Collins forestry officials offer the following suggestions for identifying potentially infected trees:
» Early symptoms include sparse or thinning/yellowing foliage.
» Midinfection symptoms include brown, wilted leaves in the tree’s canopy; staining of the bark surface on branches and trunk; entry holes from beetle attacks on limbs and trunk; beetle galleries; and die-back in the tree’s canopy.
» Late-infection symptoms include major dead portions in the tree’s canopy; beetle holes and galleries throughout the crown and trunks; and secondary pests.
To confirm a tree has TCD, it is best to contact a professional such as a certified arborist or city or county forester, according to the news release.
To help control spread of the disease, officials encourage removal of trees already confirmed to have TCD before Aug. 1, peak flight times for the walnut twig beetle.
People removing infected or dead trees from their properties should only take the trees to an approved disposal site or local landfill, according to the news release.
For more information, call (970) 221-6660, or visit www.csfs.colostate. edu.
Leaves are like gold to many gardeners
Leaves are like gold to many gardeners
by THE STAR PRESS, thestarpress.com
October 18th 2011
The temperatures haven’t been indicative of it, but we are definitely in the middle of the fall season. The landscape is full of fall colors and fallen leaves are crunchy under our feet.
When I can manage to keep my mind off of the cold winter ahead, I find this to be a really enjoyable season. I mean really, what’s not to like about fall? Beautiful colors and smells, great weather that makes me want to garden again, and good deals on plants at many garden retailers.
If you remember elementary school science, the color change is the result of plants starting the process of going dormant. Up to this point, plants have been full of green chlorophyll that allows them to make food from sunlight, but as days become shorter and temperatures are lower, deciduous plants begin to produce less and less chlorophyll. Deciduous plants are the ones that lose their leaves and go dormant in the winter. This yearly process allows other pigments, some of which have always been in the leaves, to show.
This can be fun to watch but the change can also contribute to some unnecessary worries about tree health. The first thing to remember is that different tree species will change color and lose leaves at different times. Some of the early ones in our region are types of ash, walnut and buckeye. Don’t be concerned that your tree is dead unless it has shown signs of stress earlier in the season. If you can reach them, scrape a bit of bark off a twig and see whether it is still green and has moisture in it. If you can’t reach any twigs and are still concerned, you could hire a trained arborist to inspect it, but most likely if it was healthy a few weeks ago, it is still healthy now.
In the rest of the garden, take advantage of the cool weather and get out and finish the projects you might have been putting off. I’ve been moving some of my perennials around at home and planting the ones I’ve held over.
Go to your favorite garden retailer and look for a good deal on trees, shrubs and perennials. The cool weather and the typically adequate soil moisture in fall is a great opportunity to plant and it will give plants a jump start on establishing a root system.
Original Page: http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20111019/LIFESTYLE/110190301
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Inventory of Hudson’s public trees is under way
Inventory of Hudson’s public trees is under way
by Randy Hanson, hudsonstarobserver.com
October 19th 2011 4:26 PM
By the end of October, the city of Hudson expects to have a detailed inventory of every tree on public parks and in street right of ways.
Kelli Tuttle of Bluestem Forestry Consulting has been working on the inventory off and on since August.
The Purdue University-trained urban forester is visiting each tree, recording its species and exact location coordinates, along with details about its size, health and maintenance needs, in a handheld global positioning system and computer.
When Tuttle is through with her work, the city’s Public Works and Parks Department will have an urban forest database that it can use to maintain records on individual trees. The database also will assist the city with budgeting and planning its tree-maintenance projects.
In addition, Tuttle is under contract to prepare a five-year management plan for Hudson’s urban forest, as well as an emerald ash borer readiness plan.
“I will have specific recommendations for them as far as how they should be managing their trees,” Tuttle said during an Oct. 10 meeting with a reporter and city officials in Birkmose Park. She’ll offer recommendations on planting, pruning, planting and more.
Public Works and Parks Director Tom Zeuli, city Tree Board chairperson John Hoggatt and Tree Board member Ken Holman also were present.
The emerald ash borer is a green beetle from Asia that was accidentally introduced to North America in the 1990s. Since then, it has killed millions of green ash trees across a swath of the eastern United States.
The ash borer is now in St. Paul and is working its way up the east side of the Mississippi from La Crosse.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is paying half the cost of Hudson’s 2011 urban forestry project, which has a price tag of $27,795.
At the urging of Zeuli, Hudson has applied for and received annual urban forestry grants from the DNR since 2009.
Zeuli was in charge of the removal of American elm trees the city lost to the Dutch elm disease. At last count, he had tallied some 11,000 elms removed, going back to the late 1960s or early ’70s.
He wants the city to be better prepared to deal with the loss of ash trees, which is a major reason why he asked for the tree inventory.
“You can’t really manage until you are aware of what you have — how many ash you have, how many oak you have,” said Tuttle. “There are several diseases out there right now. You need to know your resource before you can manage properly.”
Zeuli has been working on the application for an urban forestry grant for next year. He’s hoping to receive DNR money to remove vulnerable ash trees, plant new trees and provide chemical protection of some high-value ash trees.
“We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve a little with the removal of some and the treatment of some,” Zeuli said.
Tuttle said there were standing dead ash trees on every street she traveled in Detroit during a visit there six years ago.
Zeuli said Detroit is still reeling from the ash borer invasion. Without proper planning, “It’s a liability, it’s an eyesore, and it’s a financial problem for years and years,” he said of the devastation.
Ken Holman, a Hudson resident who runs the state of Minnesota’s urban forestry program, noted that 90 percent of the trees in a typical city are on private property.
“So by inventorying and developing a management plan for proper care of the public trees, we hope to set an example for the residents in the 90 percent of the land that’s available for planting and maintaining private trees,” Holman said.
Tuttle’s and Zeuli’s advice for homeowners is to plant the right trees for their soil and location, and to plant a variety of species. Having a diversity of tree species prevents losing a majority of them to a single disease or invading insect.
The benefits of trees are well documented. They provide natural air-conditioning in the summer (conserving electricity), increase property values, allow rainwater to infiltrate the ground, reduce runoff and sequester carbon from the air.
“Each tree we have in the city has value,” Zeuli said.
Tuttle estimated that Hudson has about 7,000 trees in its parks and on street right of ways. She said the city is heavy on maples and that it wouldn’t surprise her if ash are the second-most plentiful tree.
Oaks, including some ancient ones, are found primarily in Birkmose and Prospect parks.
Tags: communities, hudson, environment
Original Page: http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/event/article/id/44903/
Shared from Read It Later
Leaf Peeping . . . Fall Leaf Color
Tis the season for Fall. Leaf peeping.
As the growing season comes to a close, temperatures begin to fall and leaves begin changing their colors and dropping to the ground in preparation for the cold, dark winter. This wonderful display of color is really quite nice.
Three pigments make all this color changing biology happen.
- Chlorophyll
- Carotenoid
- Anthocyanin
Chlorophyll captures the suns light, and is a major contributor to the process of photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is the green color. Chlorophyll is constantly broken down and used in the process of making plant food. The plant replaces chlorophyll in the leaf through out the season. As daylight and night time temperatures begin to drop, the veins of the leaf begin to close off from the base of the leaf. Stopping the supply of chlorophyll, which then begins to allow the other colors to show through.
Carotenoids are present in the leaf year around. They grab light from wavelengths that chlorophyll cannot. Carotenoid is the yellow, orange – redish color. Xanthophyll is a type of carotenoid that contains oxygen, and is present in very high levels of plant leaves. Xanthophyll is the yellow pigment. As the chlorophyll decreases you see the carotenoids more.
Anthocyanins are not present through out the year. They start being produced at the end of summer, developing in the sap of the leaf. Anthocyanin is the red, purple and blue colors. These pigments are produced when the leaves start breaking down the chlorophyll and remaining sugars trapped in the leaf. A fall that has bright, cool days and nights below 45 degrees but above freezing will favor a brighter red fall.
And that class, is why and what those colors are on the leaves. Its just a short time. Enjoy it while you can.
VA.PHC 